KARACHI:
Farmers across Sindh are struggling with the cultivation of seasonal crops due to severe water shortages. Their problems have been further intensified due to the increase in fertiliser and pesticide prices, the high cost of ploughing because of petrol hikes, and the absence of quality seeds. These issues have disrupted cultivation and affected their agricultural produce. Earlier this year, delays in rice cultivation affected the quality of yield, which resulted in significant financial losses for the farmers.
Given that most farmers primarily rely on agricultural activities as a source of income, they are currently faced with a dire situation. Most parts of interior Sindh are underdeveloped and have a poor infrastructure, which has limited the residents’ ability to work elsewhere. High illiteracy and high prevalence of disease and malnutrition can be partly blamed on the lack of employment opportunities. Farmers living in abject poverty are unable to support their families and are instead compelled to have their children work with them from a young age. Resultantly, people living in rural areas of Sindh have been plunged into generational poverty and deprivation.
The provincial government should pay attention to the plight of the farmers and offer them support by promoting modern methods of agriculture and irrigation to ensure a good harvest and reduce water losses. Dams should be constructed to store water, which can be utilised later for the cultivation of drought-tolerant crops. Also, education should be promoted in these areas to offer the younger generation an alternative path.
Ali Sher
Kashmore
Published in The Express Tribune, July 8th, 2022.
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